Filling apparatus for aerosol packages



Oct. 24, 1967 GROTHOFF 3,348,587

FILLING APPARATUS FOR AEROSOL PACKAGES Filed April 7, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Fig. 1

Inventor: f/any 6'r07%% ZVM'M x/wv 0a. 24.1961 H. GROTQOFF 3,348,587

I FILLING APPARATUS FOR AEROSOL PACKAGES Filed April 7, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fig.2

Inventor: l /an J 6w4 United States Patent Filed Apr. 7, 1965, Ser. No. 446,158 Claims priority, applicgtion (iermany, Apr. 14, 1964,

Claims. (a. 141-20 ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Apparatus for admitting compressed propellant through the valve of an aerosol package wherein an annular valve seat is movable into sealing engagement with the cover of the package and cooperates with a reciprocable valve member to normally prevent escape of propellant from the filling head but to maintain the valve of the aerosol package open. When the propellant is admitted through a passage of the filling head at a pressure which is high enough to displace the valve member from the seat, such propellant is free to flow from the passage through the resulting clearance between the valve member and the seat, and through the open valve of the package.

The present invention relates to an apparatus for filling areosol packages, and more particularly to an apparatus which may be utilized to admit liquefied propellant into such packages.

It is an important object of the present invention to provide an apparatus for admitting highly compressed propellant into the containers of aerosol packages in such a way that the propellant cannot escape prior, during or subsequent to filling of a container and that the propellant is also prevented from causing damage to or de struction of the filling head.

Another object of the invention is to provide a filling apparatus of the just outlined characteristics wherein the sealing elements of the filling head are protected against freezing so that they remain intact for long periods of use, and wherein large quantities of liquefied propellant may be admitted into consecutive aerosol packages within exceptionally short periods of time so that the output of such apparatus is Well above the output of conventional filling apparatus which are known to me at this time.

A further object of the invention is to provide a filling apparatus wherein the fluid-admitting passage defined by the filling head is invariably sealed from the atmosphere and wherein the propellant is automatically prevented from penetrating into the container or into the atmosphere as soon as a package receives a requisite quantity of such fluid.

Still another object of the invention is to provide an improved filling head for use in an apparatus of the above outlined characteristics.

An additional object of the invention is to provide an improvedvalve structure for use in the filling head and to assemble the valve structure in such a way that it automatically opens the valve of an aerosol package when the filling head is ready for admission of propellant.

A concomitant object of the invention is to provide an improved nozzle for the filling head and to construct and assemble the nozzle in such a way that it may be sealingly coupled with an aerosol package in a very simple and time-saving manner.

Briefly stated, one feature of my invention resides in the provision of an apparatus for admitting a compressed fluid, particularly a liquefied propellant of any known formula, into aerosol packages of the type wherein a normally closed valve includes a rounded casing and a valve stem and wherein the outer end of the stem carries an actuating member having an annular bead located adjacent to the stem and depressible against the bias of a spring in a direction toward the casing so as to move the stem into an open position in which the stem and the casing define between themselves a preferably annular path leading into the interior of the package, i.e., into the interior of the container whose cover carries the aforementioned valve. The apparatus comp-rises a filling head including a nozzle whose open end accommodates an annular valve seat movable into a position around and in sealing engagement with the casing of a valve while the open end of the nozzle abuts against the cover of the corresponding package, a valve member received with clearance in the nozzle and having a reciprocable annular front end portion adapted to surround an actuating member, means forming part of the valve member for depressing the actuating member when the valve seat engages the casing, a conical internal surface provided on the valve member and sealingly engaging the bead of an actuating member when the casing is engaged by the valve seat, a helical spring or other suitable means for biasing the annular front end portion of the valve member into sealing engagement with the valve seat so that the valve of the package is open but the interior of the package remains sealed from the atmosphere when the casing is engaged by the valve seat, a piston which is rigid or integral with the annular front end portion of the valve member and is spaced from the valve seat, and valved conduit means for admitting compressed fluid from a tank or from another suitable source into a passage a portion of which extends between the nozzle and the valve member intermediate the piston and the valve seat. The fluid is admitted at such pressure that it shifts the piston in a direction away from the open end of the nozzle whereby the annular front end portion of the valve member moves away from the valve seat and the fluid is free to flow in the path between the casing and the seat of the valve to fill the interior of the package.

The piston is reciprocable in a cylinder which forms a fixed part of the filling head and which is provided with suitably distributed apertures to allow for inflow of compressed fluid into the space between the piston and the valve seat. Since the valve seat is immediately adjacent to the valve of the package, and since the annular front end portion of the valve member returns to closing position as soon as the pressure of fluid against the piston decreases, losses in compressed fluid in response to detachment of the valve member from the casing are minimal.

The novel features which are considered as characteristic of the invention are set forth in particular in the appended claims. The improved filling apparatus itself, however, both as to its construction and its mode of operation, together with additional features and advantages thereof, will be best understood upon perusal of the following detailed description of certain specific embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: 7

FIG. 1 is an axial section through a filling apparatus which embodies one form of the invention, the valve member of the apparatus being shown in two different positions; and

FIG. 2 is a similar axial section through the filling head of a modified apparatus.

' Referring first to FIG. 1, there is shown an apparatus for admitting liquefied propellant into the container 22 of an aerosol package. The apparatus comprises a source A of liquefied propellant, a conduit B which con eys compressed propellant from the source A, and a filling head C having a cylindrical or tubular housing 2 the rear end of which is tapped, as at 1, to take the externally threaded discharge end of the conduit B. A metering valve D in the conduit B may be adjusted to admit propellant at a desired pressure, for example, at a relatively low pressure prior to actual admission of propellant into the container 22 and at a very high pressure when the propellant is to penetrate into the interior of the container 22.

The housing 2 accommodates a cylinder 3 which is held in the illustrated position by the discharge end of the conduit B and is provided with a first set of axially extending apertures 17 and with a second set of'radially extending apertures 13. The apertures 17 form a ring in a collar 3a which is integral with the cylinder 3, and the apertures 13 constitute slots machined into the front end face 3b of the cylinder. This front end face 3b abuts against an annular retainer plate 4 which is supported by an internal shoulder 2a of the housing 2. A nozzle 5 is provided with an external collar 5a which bears against a second internal shoulder 2b of the housing 2, and the open end of this nozzle 5 extends through and beyond the front end of the housing. An annular sealing gasket 15 is compressed between one side of the retainer 4 and the collar 5a to prevent leakage of propellant around the pe riphery of the nozzle 5. The open end of the nozzle 5 is formed as an inwardly extending annular flange 5b whose front end face 23 abuts against the cover or lid 24 of the container 22. The flange 5b defines an internal annular shoulder 50 which serves as an abutment for an annular valve seat 7 having a circumferential groove for an annular sealing gasket 16 which prevents leakage of propellant along the shoulder 56. The rear end face of the valve seat 7 is provided with an annular cushion or liner 19 of elastically deformable material which is recessed into the valve seat and is held in the position shown in FIG. 1 by an elongated cylindrical sleeve 6 which is telescoped into the nozzle 5. This sleeve may be integrally connected with the nozzle 5 and its rear end face abuts against the retainer 4. The internal surface of the valve seat 7 is provided with an annular groove which receives a sealing gasket 25, and this gasket bears against the peripheral surface of a rounded casing 26 forming part of a combined fluid-admitting and evacuating valve 20 of the aerosol package. Thus, when the front end face 23 of the flange 5b bears against the cover 24, the casing 26 is sealingly surrounded by the gasket 25 to prevent leakage of propellant through the valve seat 7.

The internal diameter of the sleeve 6 exceeds the internal diameter of a one-piece valve member 9 which is reciprocable with clearance through the central aperture of the retainer 4 and whose front end face 19 normally extends into actual abutment with the elastic liner 10. The valve member 9 is provided with external centering fins 14 which are slidable along the internal surface of the sleeve 6 and define between themselves a series of axially extending channels permitting the propellant to flow toward the exposed end face of the liner 10. The rear end portion of the valve member 9 is rigid with a piston 11 which is reciprocable in the cylinder 3 and which is biased by a strong helical expansion spring 8 accommodated in a dome 3c at the rear end of the cylinder. When the valve D is closed or when this valve admits propellant at a low pressure, the bias of the spring 8 suffices to maintain the piston 11 in the axial position shown in the left-hand portion of FIG. 1, whereby the front end face 19 of the valve member 9 bears against the liner 1%) and prevents entry of propellant into the container 22. The piston 11 is formed with a circumferential groove for an annular sealing gasket 12 which prevents leakage of propellant into a rear cylinder chamber 3d accommodating the spring 8. This rear chamber 3d communicates with a venting tube 13 which extends radially through the housing 2 and through a port machined into the cylinder 3 to insure that the pressure prevailing in the chamber 3d invariably equals atmospheric pressure. A front chamber 3e of the cylinder 3 terminates at the front end face of the piston 11 and surrounds the valve member 9. The front chamber 3e forms part of a continuous passage for propellant, this passage being composed of the apertures 17, of the annular compartment between the collar 3a and the retainer 4, of the radial apertures 18, of the annular aperture in the retainer 4, of the chamber 3e, and of the annular clearance between the sleeve 6 and the periphery of the valve member 9. When the propellant is not allowed to penetrate into the container 22, the front end of the just mentioned passage is sealed by the front end face 19 of the valve member 9 which abuts against the elastic liner 19. The front end face 19 is formed with an axially extending recess 27 which accommodates the actuating member 21 of the valve 20, and the foremost end of this recess is bounded by an outwardly diverging conical surface 29 which forms a seal around an annular head 28 provided at the inner end of the actuating member 21. It will be noted that the front end portion of the valve member 9 is of annular shape. The valve 21) comprises a stem 31 which is depressible through the intermediary of the actuating member 21 in order to permit admission of fluid into the container 22 in a manner well known from the art of aerosol packages. When the valve D is fully open or is opened to such an extent that the pressure of propellant flowing through the conduit B overcomes the bias of the spring 8 (by acting against the front end face of the piston 11 in the cylinder chamber 3e), the front end face 19 of the valve memher 9 moves away from the elastic liner 1t and defines therewith an annular gap 30 which is shown in the righthand portion of FIG. 1. This gap 30 then permits propellant to flow through the channels defined by the centering fins 14 and through an annular path defined by the stem 31 with the casing 26 (while the actuating member 21 remains in depressed position) to penetrate into the interior of the container 22. I

The filling apparatus of FIG. 1 is operated as follows:

The front end face 23 of the nozzle 5 is caused to abut against the outerside of the cover 24 while the metering valve D remains closed. Therefore, the spring 8 is free to expand and maintains the front end face 19 of the valve member 9 in sealing engagement with the annular liner 10, i.e., the passage for the propellant is sealed. The valve D is then opened so that the pro pellant may issue from the source A and flows at a relatively low pressure first through the conduit B to fill up the passage all the Way to the exposed end face of the liner 10. The thus admitted propellant is vaporized and its pressure against the front end face of the piston 11 is too weak to overcome the bias of the spring 8. Therefore, the spring 8 continues to keep the front end face 19 of the valve member 9 in sealing engagement with the liner 10. The depth of the recess 27 and the position of the conical surface 29 are selected in such a way that the stem 31 of the valve 20 moves away from its seat so that the valve 20 is open as soon as the front end face 23 of the nozzle 5 comes in actual abutment with the cover 24.

In the next step, the operator (or a control element) opens the metering valve D to such an extent that the conduit B admits a predetermined quantity of liquefied propellant which acts against the front end face of the piston 11 and moves the front end face 19 of the valve member 9 away from the liner 10. The propellant then flows through the resulting annular gap 39 between the valve member 9 and valve seat 7 and penetrates into the container 22. Such entry of liquefied propellant takes place along the top face of the casing 26 and through the annular path between the periphery of the valve stem 31 and the casing 26. The propellant also acts against the underside of the actuating member 21 and maintains the bead 28 in sealing engagement With the conical surface 29. Thus, at no time can propellant penetrate into the recess 27 of the valve member 9. The valve D is closed when the container 22 receives a predetermined quantity of liquefied propellant whereby the pressure in the passage defined by the filling head C drops and the spring 8 expands to return the front end face 19 of the valve member 9 into sealing engagement with the elastic liner 10. The filling head is then ready to be applied against the cover of the next aerosol package.

The filling apparatus of FIG. 2 differentiates from the apparatus of FIG. 1 in that the reciprocable one-piece valve member 9 is replaced by a two-piece valve member including a reciprocable sleeve 33 and a fixed mandrel 32. The rear end of the mandrel 32 is attached to the top wall of the dome 30' by a bolt 35, and the sleeve 33 carries a piston 11' which is reciprocable in the cylinder 3'. The front end face 32a of the mandrel 32 is formed with a central recess 27' and is provided with a circumferential groove for a sealing gasket 34. The front end face 19' of sleeve 33 normally bears against the liner 10' because the piston 11' is biased by the spring 8, but the pressure of propellant entering at 17' can overcome the bias of the spring 8' so that the sleeve 33 is then retracted to the position shown in the righthand portion of FIG. 2 and defines with the valve seat 7' an annular gap 30 for admission of propellant into the container of the aerosol package, not shown. Otherwise, the construction of the filling apparatus shown in FIG. 2 is identical with that of the apparatus shown in FIG. 1. The recess 27' will keep the valve stem 31 of the aerosol package in open position as long as the front end face 23' of the nozzle 5 abuts against the cover 24.

An important advantage of the apparatus shown in FIG. 2 is that the actuating member 21 need not change its axial position with reference to the casing 26 when the pressure of propellant overcomes the bias of the spring 8'. Thus, the axial position of the valve stem 31 remains unchanged because the mandrel 32 remains stationary as long as the nozzle 5' remains in abutment with the cover 24 of an aerosol package.

It is obvious that the improved apparatus is susceptible of many modifications without departing from the spirit of my invention. For example, the spring 8 or 8' may be replaced by one or more different springs or by a hydraulic or pnuematic biasing device as long as the biasing device insures that the front end face 19 or 19 remains in sealing engagement with the liner 10 or 10' prior and subsequent to actual admission of propellant into the container of an aerosol package.

In many conventional filling apparatus, the passage for liquefied propellant through the filling head is very long and the valve seat of the filling head is located at a considerable distance from the valve of the aerosol package. Consequently, and whenever the filling head is detached from a package, a certain quantity of propellant which fills the space between the valve seat and the valve 20 is free to evaporate into the surrounding atmosphere. This entails considerable losses because the propellant is rather expensive, and such losses are especially high if the apparatus is used in a mass-producing plant wherein a large number of aerosol packages must be filled per unit of time. In my improved filling head, the valve seat 7 or 7' is immediately adjacent to the valve 20 of the aerosol package so that the quantity of propellant which escapes when the nozzle is moved away from the cover 24 is negligible.

Also, when the propellant is free to evaporate into the atmosphere around the filling head, the head is subjected to strong cooling action which can lead to freezing. Such freezing is particularly damaging to the gaskets which become defective after short periods of use to cause more pronounced leakage of propellant. Therefore, the gaskets of conventional filling heads must be replaced at frequent intervals which results in reduced output and high maintenance cost. Since the evaporation of propellant from the filling head of my improved apparatus is negligible or non-existent, the gaskets can stand long wear and their sealing action remains satisfactory for extended periods of time. In the embodiments shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the quantity of propellant which can evaporate upon detachment of the filling head from the aerosol package is that quantity which fills the space be tween the liner 10 or 10' and the gasket 25 or 25. As stated hereinabove the conical surface 29 or 29' will prevent penetration of propellant into the recess 27, 27.

The apparatus according to the invention may be used advantageously in connection with propellents like dichlorodifluoromethane, trichloromonofluoromethane, propane, butane, vinyl chloride, methylene chloride or with combinations of the said or other propellents.

If desired, the piston 11 or 11' may be replaced by another device which can move the valve member 9 or the sleeve 33 away from the liner 10 or 10'.

Without further analysis, the foregoing will so fully reveal the gist of the present invention that others can, by applying current knowledge, readily adapt it for various applications without omitting features which fairly constitute essential characteristics of the generic and specific aspects of my contribution to the art and, therefore, such adaptation should and are intend to be comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalence of the following claims.

What is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. An apparatus for admitting a compressed fluid, particularly a liquefied propellant, into aerosol packages of the type wherein a normally closed valve includes a casing and a stem and wherein the outer end of the stem carries an actuating member depressible toward the casing to move the stem into an open position in which the valve defines a path leading into the interior of the package, said apparatus comprising a nozzle having an open end; an annular valve seat provided in said open end and movable into sealing engagement with the casing of a package; a valve member received with clearance in said nozzle and having a reciprocable annular front end portion arranged to surround the actuating member, said valve member being constructed to depress the actuating member when said valve seat engages the casing; means for biasing said annular front end portion into sealing engagement with said seat so that the valve is open but the interior of the package is sealed from the atmosphere when the casing is engaged by said seat; a piston rigid with said annular front end portion and spaced from said seat; and means defining a passage terminating at said seat and arranged to admit compressed fluid between said nozzle and said valve member intermediate said piston and said seat at such pressure that the fluid impinges against said piston and overcomes the bias upon said annular front end portion whereby said front end portion moves away from said seat and allows fluid to flow from said passage into the package.

2. An apparatus for admitting a compressed fluid, particularly a liquefied propellant, into aerosol packages of the type wherein a normally closed valve includes a rounded casing and a stem and wherein the outer end of the stem carries an actuating member having an annular bead located adjacent to the stem, the actuating member being depressible toward the casing to move the stem into an open position in which the valve defines a path leading into the interior of the package, said apparatus comprising a nozzle having an open end; an annular valve seat provided in said open end and movable into a position around and in sealing engagement with the casing of a valve; a valve member having an annular front end portion received with clearance in said nozzle and provided with a recess arranged to accommodate and to depress the actuating member when said seat engages the casing, said annular front end portion having a conical internal surface which is in sealing engagement with the bead of the actuating member when the casing is engaged by said seat; means for biasing said annular front end portion into sealing engagement with said seat so that the valve is open but the interior of the package is sealed from the atmosphere when the casing is engaged by said seat; a piston rigid with said annular front end portion and spaced from said seat; and means defining a passage terminating at said seat and arranged to admit compressed fluid between said nozzle and said valve member intermediate said piston and said seat at such pressure that the fluid impinging against said piston overcomes the bias upon said annular front end porton whereby said front end portion moves away from said seat and allows fluid to flow from said passage, through the path between the casing and the seat and into the package.

3. An apparatus for admitting a compressed fluid, particularly a liquefied propellant, into aerosol packages of the type wherein a normally closed valve includes a casing and a stem and wherein the outer end of the stem carries an actuating member depressible toward the casing to move the stem into an open position in which the stem and the casing define between themselves a path leading into the interior of the package, said apparatus comprising a nozzle having an open end; an annular valve seat provided in said open end and movable into sealing engagement with the casing of a package; a valve member received with clearance in said nozzle and having a reciprocable annular front end portion arranged to surround the actuating member, said valve member being constructed to depress the actuating member when said valve seat engages the casing; spring means for biasing said annular front end portion into sealing engagement with said seat so that the valve is open but the interior of the package is sealed from the atmosphere when the casing is engaged by said seat; a piston rigid with said annular front end portion and spaced from said seat; and means defining a passage terminating at said seat and arranged to admit compressed fluid between said nozzle and valve member intermediate said piston and said seat at such pressure that the fluid impinges against said piston and overcomes the bias of said spring means whereby said front end portion moves away from said seat and allows fluid to flow from said passage into the package.

4. An apparatus for admitting a compressed fluid, particularly a liquefied propellant, into aerosol packages of the type wherein a normally closed valve includes 2. casing and a stem and wherein the outer end of the stern carries an actuating member depressible toward the casing to move the stem into an open position in which the valve defines a path leading into the interior of the package, said apparatus comprising a nozzle having an open end; an annular valve seat provided in said open end and movable into sealing engagement with the casing of a package; a valve member received with clearance in said nozzle and having a reciprocable annular front end portion arranged to surround the actuating member, said valve member being constructed to depress the actuating member when said valve seat engages the casing; spring means for biasing said annular front end portion into sealing engagement with said seat so that the valve is open but the interior of the package is sealed from the atmosphere when the casing is engaged by said seat; a piston rig-id with said annular front end portion and spaced from said seat; a cylinder slidably accommodating said piston, said cylinder and said piston defining between themselves a pair of chambers located at the opposite ends of said piston and one of said chambers communieating with the interior of said nozzle said spring means being received in the other of said chambers and said cylinder being provided with port means connecting said other chamber with the atmosphere; and means defining a passage terminating at said seat and arranged to admit compressed fluid into said one chamber at such pressure that the fluid impinges against said piston and overcomes the bias of said spring means whereby said front end portion moves away from saidseat and allows fluid to flow from said passage into the package.

5. An apparatus as set forth in claim 4, further comprising a housing surrounding said cylinder, said cylinder having a first set of axially extending apertures and a second set of radially extending apertures, said second set of apertures communicating with said first set of apertures and with said one chamber and the means for admitting compressed fluid comprising conduit means connected with said housing and arranged to deliver such fluid into said first set of apertures, said apertures forming part of said passage.

6. An apparatus for admitting a compressed fluid, particularly a liquefield propellant, into aerosol packages of the type wherein a normally closed valve includes a casing and a stem and wherein the outer end of the stem carries an actuating member depressible toward the casing to move the stem into an open position in which the valve defines a path leading into the interior of the package, said apparatus comprising a nozzle having an open end; an annular valve seat provided in said open end, said seat having an internal surface provided with an annular groove and an end face facing away from the open end of said nozzle; an annular sealing member received in said groove and movable into sealing engagement with the casing of a package; an elastically deformable liner adjacent to the end face of said seat; a valve member received with clearance in said nozzle and having a reciprocable annular front end portion arranged to surround the actuating member, said valve member being constructed to depress the actuating member when said sealing member engages the casing; means for biasing said annular front end portion into sealing engagement with said liner so that the valve is open but the interior of the package is sealed from the atmosphere when the casing is engaged by said sealing member; a piston rigid with said annular front end portion and spaced from said seat; and means defining a passage terminating at said seat and arranged to admit compressed fluid between said nozzle and said valve member intermediate said piston and said seat at such pressure that the fluid impinges against said piston and overcomes the bias upon said annular front end portion whereby said front end portion moves away from said linear and allows fluid to flow from said passage into the package. 7

7. An apparatus for admitting a compressed fluid, particularly a liquefied propellant, into aerosol packages of the type wherein a normally closed valve includes a casing and a stem and wherein the outer end of the stem carries an actuating member adpressible toward the casing to move the stem into an open position in which the valve defines a path leading into the interior of the package, said apparatus comprising a nozzle having an open end; an annular valve seat provided in said open end and movable into sealing engagement with the casing of a package; a one-piece valve member received with clearance in said nozzle and having a reciprocable annular front end portion provided with a centrally located recess arranged to surround the actuating member, said valve member being constructed to depress the actuating member when said valve seat engages the casing; means for biasing said annular front end portion into sealing en gagernent with said seat so that the valve is open but the interior of the package is sealed from the atmosphere when the casing is engaged by said seat; a piston rigid with said annular front end portion and spaced from said seat; and means defining a passage terminating at said seat and arranged to admit compressed fluid be tween said nozzle and said valve member intermediate said piston and said seat at such pressure that the fluid impinges against said piston and overcomes the bias upon said annular front end portion whereby said front end portion moves away from said seat and alloWs fluid to flow from said passage into the package.

8. An apparatus for admitting a compressed fluid, particularly a liquefied propellant, into aerosol packages of the type wherein a normally closed valve includes a casing and a stem and wherein the outer end of the stem carries an actuating member depressible toward the easing to move the stem into an open position in which the valve defines a path leading into the interior of the package, said apparatus comprising a nozzle having an open end; an annular valve seat provided in said open end and movable into sealing engagement with the casing of a package; a valve member including a fixed mandrel extending into said nozzle and having a front end portion provided with a recess arranged to accommodate and to depress the actuating member when the casing is engaged by said valve seat, and a sleeve slidable on said mandrel and received with clearance in said nozzle, said sleeve having a front end face adjacent to said seat; means for biasing the front end face of said sleeve into sealing engagement with said seat so that the valve is open but the interior of the package is sealed from the atmosphere when the casing is engaged by said seat; a piston rigid with said sleeve and spaced from said seat; and means defining a passage terminating at said seat and arranged to admit compressed fluid between said nozzle and said sleeve intermediate said piston and said seat at such pressure that the fluid impinge against said piston and overcomes the bias upon said sleeve whereby the front end face of the sleeve moves away from said seat and allows fluid to flow from said passage into the package.

9. An apparatus for admitting a compressed fluid, particularly a compressed propellant, through the valve of an aerosol package, comprising a source of compressed fluid; a filling head having a nozzle provided with an open end; an annular valve seat mounted in said open end; a valve member received with clearance in said nozzle and including a front end portion reciprocable in the axial direction of said nozzle; a piston rigid with said front end portion; means for biasing said front end portion into sealing engagement with said valve seat; and means including a passage provided in said filling head and terminating at said seat, said passage being arranged to admit compressed fluid from said source between said valve member and said nozzle intermediate said piston and said valve seat at such pressure that the fluid overcomes the bias upon said front end portion and the front end portion moves away from said valve seat to permit escape of fluid from said passage and through the valve seat.

10. An apparatus for admitting a compressed fluid, particularly a highly compressed liquefied propellant, through the valve of an aerosol package, comprising a source of compressed fluid; a filling head having a nozzle provided with an open end arranged to be moved in abutment with the cover of an aerosol package; an annular valve seat provided in the open end of said nozzle and arranged to sealingly engage the casing of the valve forming part of the aerosol package whose cover abuts against said nozzle; a valve member received with clearance in said nozzle and comprising an annular front end portion which is reciprocable in the axial direction of said nozzle, said front end portion having a recess arranged to accommodate the actuating part of the valve and to maintain the valve in open position when the nozzle abuts against the cover and the seat engages the casing of an aerosol package; means for biasing said front end portion into sealing engagement with said seat; means defining a passage provided in said filling head and terminating at said seat, said passage being arranged to admit compressed fluid from said source into the clearance between said nozzle and said valve member; and means for simultaneously moving the front end portion of said valve member away from said seat so that the fluid can pass from said passage through the valve seat to penetrate into the interior of the package.

11. An apparatus for admitting a compressed fluid, particularly a highly compressed liquefied propellant, through the valve of an aerosol package, comprising a source of compressed fluid; a filling head having a nozzle provided with an open end arranged to be moved in abutment with the cover of an aerosol package; an annular valve seat provided in the open end of said nozzle and arranged to sealingly engage the casing of the valve forming part of the aerosol package whose cover abuts against said nozzle; a valve member received with clearance in said nozzle and comprising an annular front end portion which is reciprocable in the axial direction of said nozzle, said front end portion having a recess arranged to accommodate the actuating part of the valve and to maintain the valve in open position when the nozzle abuts against the cover and the seat engages the casing of an aerosol package; a piston rigid with said front end portion and spaced from said valve seat; means for biasing said front end portion into sealing engagement with said seat; and means defining a passage provided in said filling head and terminating at said seat, said passage being arranged to admit compressed fluid from said source into the clearance between said nozzle and said valve member intermediate said piston and said valve seat at such pressure that the fluid impinging against said piston overcomes the bias upon said front end portion whereby the front end portion moves slightly away from said valve seat and allows fluid to flow from said passage into the package.

12. An apparatus for admitting a compressed fluid, particularly a compressed propellant, through the valve of an aerosol package, comprising a source of compressed fluid; a filling head including a housing, a nozzle mounted in and having an open end extending from said housing, an annular valve seat mounted in the front end of said nozzle, a cylinder mounted in said housing, a valve member received with clearance in said nozzle and extending into said cylinder, said valve member having a reciprocable front end portion adjacent to said valve seat, means for biasing said front end portion into sealing engagement with said valve seat, and a piston secured to said front end portion and reciprocably received in said cylinder, said filling head defining a continuous passage extending in part between said nozzle and said valve member and having a front end terminating at said seat and normally sealed by the front end portion of said valve member; .and means for admitting compressed fluid from said source into said passage at such pressure that fluid impinging against said piston shifts the front end portion of the valve member away from said valve seat so that such fluid may escape from said passage through the valve seat and into a package whose valve extends into the open end of said nozzle.

13. An apparatus as set forth in claim 12, wherein said nozzle is provided with an elastic cushion which is sealingly engaged by the front end portion of said valve member when the front end of said passage is closed.

14. An apparatus as set forth in claim 12, wherein said cylinder is provided with axially and radially extending apertures forming part of said passage and arranged to admit fluid into the clearance between said valve member and said nozzle intermediate said valve seat and said piston.

15. An apparatus as set forth in claim 12, wherein said valve seat has an internal surface provided with an annular groove, and further comprising an annular gasket received in said groove and arranged to engage the casing of a valve on that aerosol package which is to receive a supply of compressed fluid.

References Cited,

' UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,173,457 3/196-5 Focht l41-20 3,176,727 4/ 1965 Rousseau l4120 3,179,132 4/1965 Focht l4l20 LAVERNE D. GEIGER, Primary Examiner. H. S. BELL, Assistant Examiner. 

9. AN APPARATUS FOR ADMITTING A COMPRESSED FLUID, PARTICULARLY A COMPRESSED PROPELLANT, THROUGH THE VALVE OF AN AEROSOL PACKAGE, COMPRISING A SOURCE OF COMPRESSED FLUID; A FILLING HEAD HAVING A NOZZLE PROVIDED WITH AN OPEN END; AN ANNULAR VALVE SEAT MOUNTED IN SAID OPEN END; A VALVE MEMBER RECEIVED WITH CLEARANCE IN SAID NOZZLE AND INCLUDING A FRONT END PORTION RECIPROCABLE IN THE AXIAL DIRECTION OF SAID NOZZLE; A PISTON RIGID WITH SAID FRONT END PORTION; MEANS FOR BIASING SAID FRONT END PORTION INTO SEALING ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID VALVE SEAT; AND MEANS INCLUDING A PASSAGE PROVIDED IN SAID FILLING HEAD AND TERMINATING AT SAID SEAT, SAID PASSAGE BEING ARRANGED TO ADMIT COMPRESSED FLUID FROM SAID SOURCE BETWEEN SAID VALVE MEMBER AND SAID NOZZLE INTERMEDIATE SAID PISTON AND SAID VALVE SEAT AT SUCH PRESSURE THAT THE FLUID OVERCOMES THE BIAS UPON SAID FRONT END PORTION AND THE FRONT END PORTION MOVES AWAY FROM SAID VALVE SEAT TO PERMIT ESCAPE OF FLUID FROM SAID PASSAGE AND THROUGH THE VALVE SEAT. 